System volume information errors on external USB drive

Wally · External Since: Mar 10, 2007 Posts: 4

I get messages saying:
â€œWindows â€“ Delayed Write Failed

Windows was unable to save all the data for the file e:\System Volume
Information\_restore[46DEâ€¦.etc.}. The data has been lost. This error may be
caused by a failure of your computer hardware or network connection. Please
try to save this file elsewhere.â€

At other times the message was for E:\$MFT (if my memory serves me right â€“
Iâ€™m certain it was referencing $MFT).

The external drive is plugged into the computerâ€™s USB port. The USB drive
holds external copies of backup files residing on the computer to which the
drive is attached. A scheduled batch file copies the backup files from the
internal drive to the external USB with no apparent problems.

The write failure messages seem to occur more as the week goes on and
possibly after the machine goes into power save mode. The message appears at
times when there is no apparent reason for any data to be written to the
drive. Can someone guide me on how I find what is having a problem and/or
does someone have some suggestions of what to change to clear the problem?

Thanks

Ron Martell2 · External Since: Aug 30, 2004 Posts: 4325

Wally <Wally.DeleteThis@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>I get messages saying:
>“Windows – Delayed Write Failed
>
>Windows was unable to save all the data for the file e:\System Volume
>Information\_restore[46DE….etc.}. The data has been lost. This error may be
>caused by a failure of your computer hardware or network connection. Please
>try to save this file elsewhere.”
>
>At other times the message was for E:\$MFT (if my memory serves me right –
>I’m certain it was referencing $MFT).
>
>The external drive is plugged into the computer’s USB port. The USB drive
>holds external copies of backup files residing on the computer to which the
>drive is attached. A scheduled batch file copies the backup files from the
>internal drive to the external USB with no apparent problems.
>
>The write failure messages seem to occur more as the week goes on and
>possibly after the machine goes into power save mode. The message appears at
>times when there is no apparent reason for any data to be written to the
>drive. Can someone guide me on how I find what is having a problem and/or
>does someone have some suggestions of what to change to clear the problem?
>
>Thanks

You should disable System Restore on external drive. System Restore
only protects operating system files so there is no need to have it
running on drives or partitions that contain only data files and/or
backup images.

Use Control Panel - System and go to the System Restore tab.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

Wally · External Since: Mar 10, 2007 Posts: 4

"Ron Martell" wrote:

> You should disable System Restore on external drive. System Restore
> only protects operating system files so there is no need to have it
> running on drives or partitions that contain only data files and/or
> backup images.
>
> Use Control Panel - System and go to the System Restore tab.
>
> Good luck
>
> Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
> --
> Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
> On-Line Help Computer Service
> http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
> Syberfix Remote Computer Repair
>
> "Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
> has never been in bed with a mosquito."

Thanks for the input Ron!

That makes good sense. I was wondering why restore information was trying
to write there. I had assumed that restore only writes to the C: drive.

At first I could not find the option to turn off restore for that drive but
then noticed that option would only show up once I wrote some data to drive.
I turned it off for that drive and will test with it this week.

I hope that this will also fix the problem that occured when trying to write
the $MFT information.

It appears that the option stays off even when I disconnect the USB drive
and then reconnect it so I won't need to set that every time I swap drives.

By the way, I love your sig...I live where there are plenty of mosquitos and
I have felt too small to make a difference before...nevermore! LOL

Thanks again.
Wally

Wally · External Since: Mar 10, 2007 Posts: 4

I still have a problem. Turning off the system restore for this drive fixed
the delayed write for the restore but I still get messages for a delayed
write failure for the MFT. I get the same text as my original post quoted
but with this is "for the file E:\$MFT."

Any ideas on what is trying to write this and how to avoid a problem with it?

Thanks again,
Wally

"Wally" wrote:

> I get messages saying:
> â€œWindows â€“ Delayed Write Failed
>
> Windows was unable to save all the data for the file e:\System Volume
> Information\_restore[46DEâ€¦.etc.}. The data has been lost. This error may be
> caused by a failure of your computer hardware or network connection. Please
> try to save this file elsewhere.â€
>
> At other times the message was for E:\$MFT (if my memory serves me right â€“
> Iâ€™m certain it was referencing $MFT).
>
> The external drive is plugged into the computerâ€™s USB port. The USB drive
> holds external copies of backup files residing on the computer to which the
> drive is attached. A scheduled batch file copies the backup files from the
> internal drive to the external USB with no apparent problems.
>
> The write failure messages seem to occur more as the week goes on and
> possibly after the machine goes into power save mode. The message appears at
> times when there is no apparent reason for any data to be written to the
> drive. Can someone guide me on how I find what is having a problem and/or
> does someone have some suggestions of what to change to clear the problem?
>
> Thanks

Uwe Sieber · External Since: Mar 30, 2006 Posts: 479

Wally wrote:
> I get messages saying:
> "Windows – Delayed Write Failed
>
> Windows was unable to save all the data for the file e:\System Volume
> Information\_restore[46DE….etc.}. The data has been lost. This error may be
> caused by a failure of your computer hardware or network connection. Please
> try to save this file elsewhere."
>
> At other times the message was for E:\$MFT (if my memory serves me right –
> I'm certain it was referencing $MFT).
>
> The external drive is plugged into the computer's USB port. The USB drive
> holds external copies of backup files residing on the computer to which the
> drive is attached. A scheduled batch file copies the backup files from the
> internal drive to the external USB with no apparent problems.
>
> The write failure messages seem to occur more as the week goes on and
> possibly after the machine goes into power save mode. The message appears at
> times when there is no apparent reason for any data to be written to the
> drive. Can someone guide me on how I find what is having a problem and/or
> does someone have some suggestions of what to change to clear the problem?

The NTFS file system delays some writes for a long time. If
the computer goes to standby meanwhile, it might cause such
problems. The policy 'Optimize for quick removal' has no effect
for NTFS formatted drives...
You can format the drive with FAT32 instead. But this brings
a maximum file size of 4GB. XP does not format drives >32GB,
so a 3rd party tool is required:
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/usbtrouble_e.html#format

Another thing to try is to manually flush the drive my means
of Sysinternals' commandline tool SYNC:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/FileAndDisk/Sync.mspx

Greetings from Germany

Uwe

steo · External Since: Aug 21, 2009 Posts: 1

Hi Uwe, thanks for the info.

I have a USB harddisk with NTFS file system, but I tried the policy
'Optimize for quick removal'. Now, I can never "safely remove hardware"
which I could still do before with 'Optimize performance'. Any ideas
why?

I tried the SYNC tool that you recommended, and in the command prompt,
everything looks fine, but i cannot "safey remove hardware" and the disk
lights do not blink. Any issues if I just pull out the usb cable?

Cheers,
Stan

--
steo
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Uwe Sieber · External Since: Mar 30, 2006 Posts: 479

steo wrote:
> Hi Uwe, thanks for the info.
>
> I have a USB harddisk with NTFS file system, but I tried the policy
> 'Optimize for quick removal'. Now, I can never "safely remove hardware"
> which I could still do before with 'Optimize performance'. Any ideas
> why?

No, no idea.
As I wrote before, the "Optimize for xxx" policies have
absolutely no mesurable effect on the the disk cache's
behaviour on NTFS formatted drives.
If you think it helps in any way just switch it back.

> I tried the SYNC tool that you recommended, and in the command prompt,
> everything looks fine, but i cannot "safey remove hardware" and the disk
> lights do not blink. Any issues if I just pull out the usb cable?

What does 'cannot "safey remove hardware"' mean? Is the green
tray icon gone or does Windows reject the request?

An alternative to the Windows "Safe removal" is HotSwap:
http://mysite.verizon.net/kaakoon/hotswap/index_enu.htm

Furthermore there are my commandline tools for safe removal
and ejecting/dismounting:
http://www.uwe-sieber.de/drivetools_e.html

Uwe